3 group races at Leopardstown

once again, Irish racing comes to the rescue on a Sunday with a highly interesting card at Leopardstown, featuring 3 group races, two of them significant classic trials. The advance going was officially good, but it will be much softer after some heavy rain. The Derby Trial at 16.55 should be very informative, with Aidan O´Brien saddling his unbeaten Geoffrey Chaucer (son Joseph aboard), while Dermot Weld runs Fascinating Rock (Pat Smullen) who has won both his races this season in good style. That was on soft ground, while the O´Brien runner has raced only on the firm, so we prefer Dermot Weld´s runner, with the stable operating at an amazing 42.5% strike rate this year. The Aga Khan´s Ebanoran (John Oxx/ Declan McDonough) looks next best.
The 1,000 Guineas Trial at 16.25 is difficult, as most of These filles have no form at all at stakes Level. 5 of them were easy winners of a maiden last time and now up in grade. The O´Brien´s run the highly-rated Palace, but we prefer the two daughters of Sea the Stars (a stallion we expect to have a fantastic year) Afternoon Sunlight (Weld Smullen) and Stars So Bright (Oxx/ McDonough), who runs in the Tsui colours.
Weld and Smullen can kick off an excellent afternoon with Mustajeeb in the Amethyst Stakes over a mile at 15.55. The stable won this 3 times running with Famous Name and knows what is required. This lightly-raced 3yo -. the only runner of this age group- receives a lot of weight from the other runners, with the tough Penitent (David O´ Meara/ Danny Tudhope), who has plenty of good form at this level and will be well suited by soft ground, the obvious danger.
There is also jumps racing in Ireland at Killarney,and In the U.K. N.H.meetings at Ludlow and Plumpton. At Ludlow, German-breds Sacred Square at 15.15 and Lava Lamp at 16.15 might run better than their odds suggest, while we expect Josh Moore to have a good day at Plumpton; he can win the first two races on Civil War and Kingsfold Flare, both trained by his father Gary, and possibly the third race as well on Pauline Robeson´s Smart Exit.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Primo Uomo - Intenser - Splashtop
2. Race: Mustajeeb - Penitent - Qewy
3. Race: Palace - Harry`s Princess - Stars So Bright
4. Race: Geoffrey Chaucer - Fascinating Rock - Obliterator
5. Race: Fiosrach - Harley`s Harley - Shipyard
6. Race: Manhattan Swing - Egyptian Warrior - Sardinia
7. Race: Felix Mendelssohn - Marakoush - Granddukeoftuscany